Tag: VoIP

This is a lot more than a theme for the quarter. This is who we’ve been and who we have to be every day. The formula is simple and rewarding for all, customers inside the company (you) and customers that may or do purchase from us.

When I was 27, back in 2000, I was in the fourth year of business at my first company and had accomplished what to me was a huge milestone. I no longer owed $65,000 to credit card companies that supported me and my fledgling company. I had paid off my debt to them and was beginning to repair my personal credit. I couldn’t buy a house, but I could trade up from my 1992 Dodge Caravan.

My partner and I had decided that we were going to celebrate four years of very difficult work by purchasing a pair of nice cars.

First I went to the Audi dealer on Genesee to look at an A8. When I walked in, I had to walk around and find a sales person to talk to. When I did, he told me they didn’t have any A8s on the lot and didn’t have any brochures. I’d have to come back in a week, they should have some literature by then.

Next, I went to the Mercedes dealer on Main St. This experience was even worse. I stood in the showroom and waited for someone to come help me out. This is no joke or stretch of the truth… I stood there for 10 minutes with people walking by, looking at me, talking amongst themselves and essentially looking right through me as if I wasn’t even there.

Quite ticked at this point, I gave one more place a shot. I drove out to East Aurora to the only BMW dealer around. When I walked in I was greeted by Mike Monteith. He asked what he could do for me. I told him I wanted to test drive a 740iL. Without hesitation, Mike handed me the keys to one, put a plate on it and told me to take my time. When I got back from a test drive that could have landed me in jail, the way I was driving that thing, Mike answered every question I had and told me everything I could possibly want to know about the car.

When done, I purchased two 740s from Mike that same day.

Since 2000, I’ve purchased 8 more cars from Mike and Towne BMW and I’ve never even considered test driving Audi or Mercedes, nor will I buy from either of those dealerships. I’ve also referred at least a dozen people to Mike and Towne BMW and would gladly do so all day.

What was was the difference? It’s plain to see.

Mike was responsive and dependable, as is the entire team and staff at Towne. The others may have gotten around to me when they had time, it simply doesn’t work that way. The funniest of all came a year later when a sales rep from the Audi dealership called me to ask if I was still interested. He took a whole year to call me!

When you need information, answers to questions, data to support your ideas or just someone to go to lunch with, who is your first choice?

I know for me, the first place I go is he/she that has historically been the most responsive and the most dependable. Don’t you?

If it’s data that you need, don’t you seek out the person that provides the most accurate data that has been thoroughly reviewed before handing it over?

How frustrating is it when that person isn’t available or when the outcome isn’t as you needed and expected it to be?

Everyone wants and deserves responsiveness and dependability. You get what you give, it works no other way.

This isn’t just a sales thing either, this is support, service, shipping, purchasing, engineering, marketing and accounting – everyone! The challenge I want you to beat personally and collectively is to be as incredibly responsive and ridiculously dependable to EVERY request that comes your way. Set your bar high and try to do even better. Beat your goals, challenge your peers, compete with yourself and your team mates.

If a customer sends an inquiry to the company, they deserve the most immediate and dependable response that we can possibly deliver.

When a customer calls to talk to someone, they should NEVER go to voicemail. They deserve better.

Next time one of your co-workers needs something from you, the immediacy of your response is absolutely critical, even if the response is nothing more than a date/time that they can expect their answer… Then never fail to deliver on time. They deserve that or better, just as you expect to get when you need answers.

You can be as feature rich, fancy, full of knowledge, cheap or expensive, complicated or simple as pie. None of those things matter if you don’t respond immediately and deliver dependability every time.

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VoIP Supply has recently announced the launch of ‘Deploy’ its Nationwide Voice over IP phone system installation service.

The official press release is below. Deploy is the result of many months of work, demo and beta installations and refinement of the process from start to finish. VoIP Supply is the only reseller of Voice over IP hardware that offers a true nationwide base of professionally trained and certified VoIP Phone System Installers.

VoIP Supply Launches Deploy Nationwide Installation Services

VoIP Supply LLC, North America’s leading supplier of Voice over IP (VoIP) equipment and complete systems, today announced the launch of Deploy. Deploy by VoIP Supply is a suite of nationwide VoIP installation services aimed at business that don’t have the time or technical acumen to properly install a VoIP solution. Through Deploy businesses can make the evaluation and installation of a VoIP system quick, easy and affordable.

“Even though VoIP systems have become easier to set-up and install do it yourself is not for everyone,” stated Garrett Smith, Director of Marketing and Business Development at VoIP Supply, LLC. “With Deploy by VoIP Supply those businesses that do not have the time or expertise to properly set-up and install a VoIP system can now do so quickly and inexpensively, ensuring they realize the cost savings and efficiency increases that come with VoIP.”

Through Deploy by VoIP Supply, businesses gain access to a nationwide network of licensed and certified field technicians that perform:

On-site assessments

Cable installations

Network infrastructure configuration and installations

VoIP system configuration and installations

VoIP endpoint configuration and installations

Starting at just $199.99 for an on-site assessment, the typical business can have a complete VoIP system installation – from on-site assessment to cabling to end point installation – for around $300 per user. Deploy services can be purchased in tandem or a la cart and are backed by an industry leading Service Level Agreement (SLA) that includes a Lifetime Workmanship Warranty.

About VoIP Supply
VoIP Supply, LLC (http://www.voipsupply.com), a division of Sayers Technology Holdings, is North America’s leading supplier of VoIP Equipment and complete systems with offerings for businesses, service providers and resellers. In addition to a comprehensive product catalog, the company offers technical support, extended warranties, device configuration, installations and logistical services. VoIP Supply is a three-time INC 5,000 honoree and in 2007, was ranked number 45 on the Entrepreneur Magazine’s Hot 100 fastest growing companies in the U.S. VoIP Supply has also been recognized as one of the Best Places to Work in Western New York by Buffalo’s Business First Newspaper, one of the Top 100 privately held companies in WNY, as well as the fastest growing company in WNY for 2006 by winning the Business First Fast Track 50 Award.

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Too many topics, too little time. Some of my story, experiences and thoughts on business.

Yes, I am aware that blog posts traditionally should be fairly short and concise. Sorry, this one doesn’t conform.

Coming up this Friday I’ll be having a discussion with some college students and faculty members at Houghton College in the town where I spent many of the formative years of my life. In advance of the presentation I was given a list of questions from some of the students in the business and marketing programs. Unfortunately the list is too long for me to answer all of them within the 30 minute time slot so I figured I would answer them here and share for those who’s question goes unanswered.

A little history on me…

Businesses: I started a few “businesses” when I was a child, not unlike many kids. My brother and I would make tea from the mint leaves in our backyard and sell it door to door. In a town of 500 people, who is going to say no? Following that I invented a burglar alarm that consisted of a tennis ball and a piece of string. Once positioned above the door, any burglar that entered would get a tennis ball to the face. Thanks to my dad on that one for taking out the ad in the college paper and helping me close my first and only customer. Lastly, my brother and I built up a pretty decent base of customers in the lawn mowing business. The effort, gas and profits were ours, mom and dad provided the mower. Making a couple hundred dollars a week at the age of 12 was pretty nice. None were formal businesses yet all had the potential to earn. I was a poor kid that wanted stuff and couldn’t wait for my birthday.

Aspirations: Did I know what I wanted to do early in life? Yes I did, but it was a toss up. The choices were to be a garbage man (so I could have lunch with my mom) or a businessman (so I could wear a suit and carry a briefcase). As it turns out, I get to be both as CEO and Janitor at the company.

Japanese?: What was the original goal in studying Japanese in college? I, like many, was an undecided student and wasn’t sure what to do with college. The culture, class, respect and manners of the Japanese along with the complexity and challenge of learning the language drew me to taking it as pretty much the only class I enjoyed. My senior year of high school I boarded at Houghton Academy with a lot of Japanese kids, that had a fair amount of influence as well.

College drop-out: Yep, like plenty of other entrepreneurs, I did drop out of college after a couple of years. Why? The pace of education was far too slow and my level of interest in uninteresting topics was too low. I like to work, wanted to work, didn’t want to be told that I had to take classes of no relevance and felt that I was wasting time. Why a call center? No reason, it was a job and fortunately it led to many opportunities for advancement and self-promotion to anyone willing to put in the effort and prove themselves. Plus my friends worked there.

Starting a business…

There is a lot involved with starting any business and no way for me to do justice to that in a blog post or a 30 minute discussion. Nonetheless, I’ll answer the questions asked based on my experiences.

First steps: What first steps did I take in starting my business? The first time around (1995) I was winging it, making mistakes, falling down and getting right back up. The second time around (2002) was a lot different. I knew enough to build the plan and had established solid relationships with financial and legal counsel. You can read hundreds of books on starting a business and most will say very similar things. Just like the things your parents told you when you were a kid, lots of people (me included) don’t listen to the expert advice and take the position that it doesn’t apply to them. Wrong. Take the time to build a solid business plan and don’t ever expect it to be “finished” as it needs to live and breath in order to be successful. Be conservative in your planning and understate your market, capabilities and revenue. At the same time, make sure to over estimate your expenses. Expect to work long hours, all days, all nights for months or years and, unless you are well funded, expect to do it without a paycheck.

Non-compete: When I left my last employer I was pursued legally on the grounds of non-competition and/or theft of company information. To be clear, I was competing directly but had not stolen any information, it just happened to be in my brain. Unfortunately for my former employer, I was not bound by any employment agreement or non-compete agreement and ultimately there was nothing he could do.

Biggest challenge: The answer to “What was your biggest challenge in starting a business?” For me, the first time around was a general lack of experience, funding and planning. The second time around (this time) it was inadequate documentation of process and procedures as well as the difficulties of finding superior talent. For other businesses it will often be completely different challenges depending on their industry, experience, business knowledge and level of funding.

Promotion: How did you promote yourself to the public when starting a business? Again, this will depend completely on the type of business in discussion. For my businesses it has been a mix of online advertising, focus on SEO, trade show attendance and industry relationship building. Almost all of my businesses and their success has come from attracting customers rather than seeking them out directly. Bug zappers.

Running a business…

It’s easy to run a business, right? I’d beg to differ on that one.

Keys to success: What are the key components to having a successful business and how do you incorporate your faith in business? Business success depends on a large number of things including hard work, solid planning, adaptability, experience, relationships, timing, focus and patience. Another important key relative to faith is the integration of high quality business ethics. Success will often depend on your reputation and it should be one of professionalism and sound ethics.

Standing out: What made you stand out in comparison to others running a business? Our reputation and the quality of our brand is a big difference as well as being in sync with the markets and our desire to sell value over price. Plus, we’re better than them and it gets noticed.

Frustration and failure: How do you handle frustration and failure in the workplace? To be successful you absolutely must fail and become an expert at failing often. Running a business is often frustrating and there is no easy way around it. Patience, patience, patience and a profound sense of confidence in your plan, your skills and capabilities. When others fail around you or become frustrated, some options that we employ are using the situation as a coaching opportunity to dispel and prevent it. We also use resource re-allocation whereby an associate is re-tasked in a role that is less frustrating and offers an opportunity to return to success – when possible. Sometimes you simply give them an opportunity to find a new place of employment.

Marketing: What marketing techniques and strategies do you find most effective in your business? Pretty much the same ones that we started with, including a full suite of online channel marketing. We built a strong brand, reputation and business infrastructure. Now we ride it and perfect it along the way.

Job benefits: What benefits would a job such as this one bring? The benefits can be just about anything you are looking for if you have the drive and endurance to achieve them. For me, I find it a lot more fun to be the drive than the passenger and having a hard time with people telling me what to do, this job allows me to avoid that. Second to that, the opportunity to create, build, grow and enjoy the fruits of labor are important benefits. Lastly, when you achieve your own designated level of success, there is little greater than knowing you did it, got there and have every reason to be proud of yourself.

Job quality: Would you say this is a good quality job, even if you are not as successful as others? So long as you are successful at your own level, irregardless of others, the quality of this job is second to none. However, it is also much harder than many jobs and a heavy burden to carry from time to time. I’ve often thought that if I gave up this job that I would want to be an EMT as the job quality of saving lives is one of the few steps up in my book.

International Business and VoIP Technology…

There were a few other questions not specific to the three sections above.

Overseas: Do you work with companies overseas? Yes, we are a global company with customer and vendor relations around the globe. Roughly 16% of our business comes from outside of the US.

International Business: Is it possible to take your business model internationally? How hard would it be? Yes, we currently conduct business internationally. It is harder than domestic business, particularly in retail where the import duties and taxes coupled with international fraud controls make it extremely difficult and risky.

Freshness: How do you remain fresh in a competitive and cut-throat marketplace overrun with regulations? Telecom regulations do not affect us much since we are not a provider of services rather a reseller of hardware. Remaining fresh is another matter altogether. We do not pay attention to our competitors rather we lead with our own freshness. New services, more value adds, product additions, site revamps and new markets introduced or incorporated into our existing model keep us different and on the move all of the time.

VoIP and the workplace: Would you say that VoIP (Skype in particular) is changing the workplace? Is it creating a new “business norm” in regards to decorum and expectations? Yes, VoIP is changing the workplace or assisting changes already in progress. Much more than a change in decorum, VoIP is helping to change the location of the workplace and helping more and more people work outside of the traditional office. VoIP is adding to the “Always on, always available” culture of this country and many others. For better or worse it is helping to increase the speed of life and connectivity of individuals.

Thanks for the questions, I enjoy answering them as best I can!

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It’s pronounced ‘eeks-geeks’ and no, I’ve never met one!

IAXGIAX

Ok, I lied, I’ve actually met quite a lot of them, employ a bunch of them and might even be one myself. The Eeks comes from IAX (The Inter-Asterisk Exchange) and we know where the Geeks come from. This little blurb ties in with a Contest Post on VoIPSupply.com introducing the new Citel C4110 IAX2 compatible phone. There has not been a quality IAX phone since it’s introduction (oddly enough) and the GIAX have been asking for one for a long time. For those that follow VoIP, this is a nice addition to the available end-points and to top it off, it is a high quality and good looking phone at a great price. The contest might be over and the shirts all gone, but the phone is here and has been flying off of our shelves!

Citel C4110

Citel C4110 IP Phone

The Citel C4110 VoIP Phone features support for up to 2 lines, and a range of standard features like conference calling, call transfer (blind or consultative), Call hold, Call Waiting, Call Forwarding and CallerID. The Citel C4110 also features DND (Do No Disturb), Number Note Pade, Paging with Auto-Answer, 500-Entry Phone book and Configurable Dial Plan.

Citel C4110 IAX2 IP Phone

The Citel C4110 can easily be configured via a web browser, and also supports convenience auto-provisioning via TFTP server. The C4110 features 8 distinctive ring tones, volume and ringer level control and voicemail retreival via keypad or programmable keys. With an integrated 2 port 10/100 MBPs switch, 802.3af Power Over Ethernete, RJ9 headset jack and VLAN/DHCP support, the Citel C4110 is both versatile and feature-rich. The Citel C4110 supports G.711, G.729 and G.723.1 codecs. DTMF tone generation, acoustic echo cancellation and a built-in audio mixer are also featured.

Please Note: The Sutus BC-200 Includes 5 SIP Endpoint Licenses and a single 4-Port PSTN (FXO) Gateway. The BC200 system can support up to (25) Total Users. If you have > 5 Users, additional licensing add-ons are available under the following SKUs:

BC200-L-6-12 ($699 Additional, 1-Time Licensing Fee)

BC-200-L-13-25 ($999 Additional, 1-Time Licensing Fee)

Sutus Business Central is your data network, telephone system and access to the Internet. It is uniquely simple to use, yet provides the same capabilities used by big enterprise – mobility, security, collaboration, data backup, disaster recovery, customer relationship management and more. Sutus Business Central is not a stripped down version of a “big business” system. It has been designed from the ground up specifically for small businesses and provides precisely the richness of features you need – no overkill, no complexity, no Ph.D. in computers required. Sutus Business Central is also designed to be affordable both short term and long term. You can finally obtain the system you want without breaking your budget!

Sutus Business Central BC200 Network VoIP Appliance

Sutus Business Central gives your company the tools it needs to project the professional image necessary for success in today’s competitive world. Customers can connect with you when and how they want. Your employees will be able to work together effectively no matter where they are located. Most important, the system is easy enough to use that your employees will actually use it!

Sutus Business Central Features Include:

Full featured IP Phone system with Auto-Provisioning for the popular Polycom SoundPoint series IP telephones